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Struggles of Pregnancy Weight Gain

Some people struggle to keep the weight off and some struggle to keep it on. During pregnancy gaining weight is just going to happen, whether you gain 10 – 25 – 40 or more pounds. You gain fluid, blood, baby’s weight etc.

When I was pregnant with Lilly, I lost about 7 pounds in the first trimester! I was slightly nauseous with her but figured out that if I ate small meals throughout the day it would go away. By my second trimester, I was feeling great. Then in my third trimester with Lilly, I just felt pregnant and big. In total, I gain 29 pounds with her. Mind you, she was born at 36 weeks 2 days, so there is a good chance I would have put on a few more pounds. She was a healthy 6 lbs 13 oz and 19 inches long. I did prenatal yoga from 14 weeks to 36 weeks, walked our dog every day and ran for the first 10-12 weeks.

36 weeks 1 day pregnant with Lilly.

Went into labour a few hours after this picture was taken.

There was this one month with Lilly that I will never forget. I gained 11 pounds in 1 month! YES, that was eleven pounds in one month! So last month when I got weighed at the doctor’s office and saw the 11 pound weight gain I thought about it a little after the shock wore off (again). At least I am consistent 🙂 It was the same month in my pregnancy that I gained the 11 pounds with Lilly. My doctor said she was not worried at my weight gain (god love her).

Now, this blog isn’t about losing weight but more about being fit, active and healthy all while having a family, working full-time and now baby #2. So when I went to my doctor’s appointment this week and saw my weight gain, I was actually disappointed as it was more than I expected – 7 pounds. My doctor reassured me that with my activity level and healthy eating that she was not concerned and that most of my weight will be gained in the second trimester. Check mate! She also said that I could be gaining more muscle mass due to the workouts I am doing and that my weight gain could just be muscle not fat. I sure don’t feel fat but I sure do feel like I have a little watermelon protruding out of my stomach.

Now, when you are pregnant you get a lot of advice. Some good and some bad. The worst is when someone say’s “wow, you look SO big” – that shit can hit you hard when you’ve got a watermelon for a stomach and you can’t bend over without successfully pointing your tail bone to the sky so your ribs don’t try to bite your stomach or what was your stomach.

Rant: I also don’t like, okay I actually hate it when someone tells me “You’re going to have a boy because your pregnancy is different this time”. I’m not against having a boy at all, in fact it would be pretty awesome if we did have a boy. It would mean lots of shopping for boy clothing 🙂 and we would have one of each. Now, if we have a girl, I’ll be just as thrilled. My husband will be out numbered even more so then he is now (and will secretly love it). I just hate that people are so focused on the sex of the baby rather than having a “healthy baby” in the end.

I had a colleague of mine tell me the other day “wow, you look good, you haven’t gained anything, you’re all belly”. Now, my colleague is over 60 and was running off to a soccer game as we both left a meeting together. Talk about fit for life. I told her I had to stop running about 5 weeks ago but was still working out and walking. As we both work in the physical activity and sport fields, I feel like “being active” comes with the lifestyle. Anyway, her comment made me feel like I was doing something right even though I am and putting on the pounds. Being healthy during pregnancy is important but gaining weight during pregnancy is also important to keep everything going.

I hate gaining weight. Really, I do.

Before I got pregnant, I was 11 pounds from my ideal weight, which sounds like a lot but it’s really not. I’ll get back there again and to my ideal weight one day after I’ve had the baby and am healthy enough to do so again.

So, I write about the struggles of gaining weight this once on this blog. Maybe I’ll revisit it again once the baby arrives, but for now I lay it at rest.

Why do we obsess about weight gain at all, pregnant or not pregnant?

For me, it’s all about being healthy. Too much weight on my body makes me feel unhealthy. But too little weight during pregnancy would also make me worry.

The weight will come and the weight will go.

My focus is on being healthy for me, my family and this pregnancy,…weight gain and all.

My questions for you today:

Why do we obsess about weight gain at all, pregnant or not pregnant?

Did you struggle with the number of pounds you gained during your pregnancy?

What was the worst comment someone said to you while pregnant?

What was the best comment someone said to you while pregnant?

Side note: I wrote this with the uncertainty of actually publishing it. After reading a blog I follow this morning about her weight gain during pregnancy I decided to post it.

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6 thoughts on “Struggles of Pregnancy Weight Gain”

I didn’t gain “enough” weight ppl kept telling me… I gained 20pounds this 3rd pregnancy, but my doc told me I was fine and my daughter came out 7p6oz perfect and healthy! I was so stressed about not being able to gain more even though I tried to eat and eat. I worked out my whole pregnancy, and ppl kept telling me to stop being selfish and think about my baby… ? Yet, it was my best pregnancy! I felt awesome, my blood pressure was perfect, my energy level was out the roof, baby girl was healthy and kept kicking, moving and growing. Yet I had ppl telling me what I did was wrong… I’ve should have listen to my doc and stressed less about my weight…

Don’t stress, you are a healthy mama! Weight is just a number, keep up your good job and keep growing that sweet baby of yours!

My son is 11 weeks old. During my first trimester I was so good, I barely gained anything, ate right, etc. My 2nd trimester included the holidays last year, so Christmas became an excuse to eat and then I didn’t stop. I gained probably 50-60 pounds (I was big to begin with). Now I’m struggling to get off the weight. I lost probably 20 right off the bat, and I’m about 40 pounds from where I was before I got pregnant. Everyone told me I was all belly as well, because I still wore a lot of the shirts/sweaters I wore before I was pregnant but now that I’m going back to work and have to go buy bigger pants I’m struggling.

I look back at pictures after our daughter was born and I don’t like the fact that I didn’t lose the weight right away – even thought I was breastfeeding and running. I ran a 10k when she was 4 months old – it was a great way for me to have a goal to work towards, then the holiday’s hit and winter and I wasn’t as active as I could have been.
It takes 9 months to put on the weight, so we can’t expect it to fall off right away.
I bought a second hand clothing for when I returned to work – in a bigger size but then managed to get more active once I got into a schedule and lost all the weight. Sure there were clothes that never fit again because your shape changes so much – minus the weight you put on. It’s too bad you can’t turn in your maternity clothing for normal yet a size or two bigger new clothing for when you go back to work. Maybe we should start a new trend 🙂
You’ll get there.
Thanks for the comment.